Automatic cigar-seller



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.:

' G. 0. COLE.

AUTOMATIC GIGAR SELLER.

No. 352,397. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

W1 .IIWESAS-EIS 1.7V VEJVTOR Attorney I N. PHERS Mole-Lithographer, Washing (on. :Lc.

(NoModL) s SheetsQSheet 2. G. 0. COLE.

AUTOMATIC OIGAR'SBLLER.

No. 352,397. Patented 1w.- 9, 1886.

N: PETERS, Phmumo n hmwmm um u. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

c. 0. COLE.

I AUTOMATIC CIGAR SELLER. No. 352,397. Patented Nov. 9. 1886. w

UNITED STATES i PATENT @FFICE.

GARY O. COLE, OF LETTS, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. G. GROSJEAN, OF MOUNT EATON, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC CIGAR-SELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,397, dated November 9, 1886.

Application filed February 10, 1885. Serial No. 155,475.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GARY O. COLE, of Letts, in the county of Louisa and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic CigarTSellers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in V automatic cigar-sellers; and it consists in the arrangement and combination of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which is adapted to sell cigars singly when a coin corresponding to the price of a cigar is placed therein, and which is so constructed that the cigar cannot be obtained unless a coin of the right denomination is placed in the machine, which will return the coin to the person paying for it should the case contain no cigars, and thereby prevent him from losing his money.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a machine embodying my invention com plete,taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, the upper portion of the case being removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section, taken on the lineX X of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the front of the machine. Figures 4, 5, and 6 are detail views. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the operating parts of the machine, taken on the same line as Fig. 1, but showing the drawer partly pulled out.

A represents the case, which is composed of the lower compartment, B, and the upper compartment, O. A glass top is preferably provided for the upper compartment, and it is also provided with the inclined bottom D and with the inclined inner front end, E, as shown in Fig. 1. These inclines throw the cigars, which are placed in the compartment 0, to the discharge-opening at the point F. An opening, G, is formed in this case, and in the 0pening slides a drawer, H. This drawer is provided with a recess, I, which extends trans-- versely across it, at a suitable distance from its front end and directly beneath the point F (No model.)

front of theseratchetteeth is formed an incline,

P, which extends downwardly and forwardly for a suitable distance below the under side of the lever K. The front end, of the lever is provided with an incline, -M, and on the upper side of this lever, at its front end, is placed a slightly-curved receiving-plate, N.

The lever isof sufficient length to maintain the receiving plate under the recess I in the bottom thereof when the drawer is in its normal position, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1. Extending rearwardly from the recess I is a slot, 0, which is in a vertical line with the lever K, and which allows said lever a vertical play in said slot. A rod, R, is secured in the lower compartment, B, of the case, and which extends forward under the lever K, at a slight distance below said lever, and'is provided at its front end with an upwardly-extending hook, S. This hook bearsunder and against the incline P when the drawer is in its closed position and holds the lever slightly raised, the upper edge of said hook being slightly lower than the under side of the lever K, so as not to come in contact with the ratchet-teeth of said lever. The shaft T is journaled transversely in the compartment B under the drawer, and slightly in advance of the center of the recess I. This shaft is provided with a central cam,V, whichis in aline with the lever K, and which is slightly in advance thereof when the drawer is closed. On said shaft, near its extremities, are secured the slightlyrearwardly-curved arms "W, which extend up into the slots X, which are formed in the front side of the drawer to receive them. The arms W are curved, as stated, to conform to the shape of the cigar. Rearward extensions of these slots X are formed in the rear portion of the drawer, and extend from the rear of the recess I for a suitable distance. One of the arms W is provided with a lower extension, Y, which is sufficiently heavy to form a weight for keeping the arms W normally in an upright position. An opening, Z, is made in the front of the compartment 0 and inclined rearwardly therein, and this opening is just of sufifiicient size to receive a coin which corresponds to the price at which the cigars are to be sold. The lower end of the opening Z communicates with a similar opening, A, which is formed in the front end of the drawer. The rear lower end of this opening Aisjustin advance of theplate N, which is secured to the front of the lever K. From the front side of the plate N project prongs B, the space between which is slightly less than the diameter of the coin A for which the machine is adapted. and which is the price of the cigar, and these prongs B, when the lever Kis raised, rise up into the recesses C, that are fOl'lllt din the drawer to receive them.

The eration of my invention is as follows: When the drawer is inits normal position, as

indicated by solid lines in Fig. 1, one of the cigars which are contained in the case 0 is dropped in the recess I and rests on the upper side of the receiving-plate N. When in this position, the lever K is held up by the hook S, bearing under the incline P, so that the under side of the front edge ofthe plate N isjust above the line of the upper side of the opening A. The person who wishes to buy a cigar places a coin, of the denomination at which the price of the cigars to be sold is set, into the opening Z, and then it passes down into the opening A and slides down under the front side of the plate N. The prongs B embrace the sides of the coin and prevent further descent thereof, the front projection, b", of the cam V guiding the same and preventing it from falling in front of the shaft T and to the bottom of the case, and the coin A thus maintains the lever in its raised position when the drawer is started forward, so that the hook S will not come in contact with the teeth L. The drawer is then pulled forward by means of the knob E, which is attached to its front edge. As the drawer is drawn outward the cigar, which rests on the plate N, bears against the rear sides of the arms W and causes them to partially rotate the shaft T, which raises up the rearwardly-projecting end of the cam V and causes it to strike against the incline M, and thus raise the front end of the lever K. This causes the projections B to move upwardly and release their hold upon the coin as it is dropped into the box B. The continued forward movement of the drawer causes the cigar to be brought out a slight distance beyond the front side of the case, from whence it will be taken out by the person operatingthe machine.

Should any dishonest person attempt to obtain a cigar without depositing a suitable coin in the opening, as soon as the drawer is started forward, there being no coin for maintaining the front end of the lever K in its raised position, said lever will drop a slight distance, andthe hook S would catch in one of the teeth L and prevent the drawer from being drawn out and thus prevent the cigar from being presented at the front end of the case. Should a person place a coin in the opening after all of the cigars have been sold, when the drawer is drawn forward, there being no cigars therein to incline the arms W and raise the cam V, said cam would permit the front end of the lever K to move over it without raising the end of the lever and releasing the coin and dropping it in the box, and the coin would be carried out throughthe opening G and dropped outside of the case, and thus would be prevented the loss of the coin to the person who had paid it into the box.

In order to prevent the drawer from being suddenly jerked open, I pivot in the compartment B the lever X, which has an angular or bent arm, Y, secured to it, and which arm projects above the top of the lever, as shown. The front end of this lever is extended when suddenly raised upward to catch in a recessin the under side of the drawer, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. To the under side of the drawer is secured the bent arm Z, which has its lower end turned upward at U, so that as the drawer is pulled outward its turned-up end will strike against theunder side of the arm Y on the lever, and thus cause the end of thelever to riseupward. 1f the drawer is pulled slowly open, the contact between the arms is very slight, and the free end of the lever is raised up such a slight distance that it does not catch in the recess-in the under side of the drawer. If, however, the drawer is suddenly pulled open, the contact between the arms is great enough to throw the end of the lever upward far enough to catch in the recess in the under side of the drawer. A'continued pull on the drawer to open it only causes the lever to lock it the faster; but if the pull is relaxed and the drawer is pushed in again the lever drops downward in. place. Only sudden jerks operate this lever.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a case having an upper compartment with an inclined bottom and an opening at its lower end, and alower'compartinent with a drawer sliding between the compartments and having an opening coincident with the opening in the upper compartment, coincident openings in the case and the drawer forthe reception of a coin, and a cigarreceiver resting under the opening in the drawer, the said receiver automatically'locking the said drawer when no coin has been received, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the case having an upper auda lower compartment, the upper compartment being provided with an inclined bottom having an opening at its-lower end, the drawer H, having a recess, 1, and opening A, the lever K, which is pivoted to the under side of the drawer, and which is provided with prongs at its forward end for grasping the coin, a catch normally supporting the lever, and a means for raising said lever and releasing the coin when the drawer is drawn out ward, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the case having the compartments B O, the drawer H, having the 7 recess I and opening A, the lever K, pivoted on the under side of said drawer and having prongs at its front end for grasping the coin, an incline, M, incline P, and teeth L, hook S, secured in the case, and means for raising the lever and releasing the coin when the drawer is drawn forward, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the case having the compartments B (3, drawer H, having the recess I and opening A, lever K, which is pivoted 0n the under side of the drawer,and which is provided with prongs at its front end for grasping the coin, and an incline, M, incline P, teeth L, hook S, which is secured to the 7 case, shaft T, having the arms W, weight Y, I 5

and cam V, substantially as specified. I

5. The combination of the lever X, having an angular or bent arm, Y, the bent arm Z, having its lower end turned upward, a support for the rear free end of the lever, and the drawer having a recess in its under side, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARY O. COLE.

Witnesses! DANIEL W. SHIEK,

EDWARD G. GROSJEAN. 

